


When Miss California Met Miss Nebraska

by alittlelesspain



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 13:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11990421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlelesspain/pseuds/alittlelesspain
Summary: Alex Danvers, FBI, knows that the criminal known as the Citizen’s next target is the Miss United States pageant. She’s got nothing to lose, a criminal to catch, and if she needs to put on a dress and simper at an audience to do so, she’ll do it.Maggie Sawyer, NCPD, has a hunch that the pageant is being targeted by someone else, and that the FBI are betting on the wrong horse, by focusing on the Citizen. When the actual Miss Nebraska falls ill and drops out of the pageant, Maggie gets a chance to act on her hunch.The Miss Congeniality AU that literally no one asked for, but with a few twists along the way.





	When Miss California Met Miss Nebraska

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching Miss Congeniality, and then things...spiralled. Fair warning: this story barely follows the movie outline.

**Alex**

Agent Alex Danvers, FBI, would tell you that she’s in this line of work because it is interesting, self-affirming and _important._

A fact that is getting increasingly harder to remember, as Alex kicks open the door to the briefing room, her badge held in her teeth from when she had to present it to security, while she precariously balances 15 different cups of coffee in her arms.

“About time, Danvers.” deputy supervisor Maxwell Lord drawls out, tapping at the ostentatious watch on his wrist. “You’re late.”

“Only because you made me stop to get the drinks for everyone, you prick.” Alex mutters, as she tries to transport said drinks from her arms to the conference table without spilling anything.

Agent Lucy Lane comes forward to help her out, although she frowns a little at Alex when she hears the insult tacked on at the end of her reply. Not for the first time, Alex prays for J’onn to make a speedy recovery, and return as their supervisor already.

Thankfully, Max doesn’t seem to have heard her muttered words, only smirking and going right back to the speech that he had been giving, as more agents wander Alex’s way to get their coffee order.

“We’ve got another letter from the Citizen today.” Max announces.

“What?” Alex almost spills her own drink, in her haste to get within viewing distance of the projector that Max is pointing at, on which there is a scan of a familiar-looking letter.

The Citizen. The criminal who has been a thorn in the FBI’s side for the past year. The case that Alex has been working day and night to solve. Arson, murder, explosives...he never works the same way twice. The only consistent thing about his crimes is that the law enforcement receives letters full of incomprehensible riddles from him beforehand, that make perfect sense once he strikes.

“I’ve already sent the letter down to Intelligence.” Lucy murmurs from beside Alex, just as Max says loudly, “Somebody send this letter down to Intelligence, ASAP!”

Alex and Lucy share an exasperated meeting of eyes.

“Let’s hope that they can get a lead before someone gets killed.” Alex says. “Meanwhile, why don’t we see if we can crack this letter _before_ Intelligence comes up with something? It’s not like they’ve been much help with the previous letters.”

Max looks over at her disparagingly.

“Why don’t you just focus on getting here on time, Danvers?” he advises. “I can’t be getting all the coffee myself.”

He laughs at his own joke, accompanied only by a few newcomers not yet acquainted with the fact that Alex Danvers can kill a man with her bare hands, and has proved said ability at least once.

“Of course not. That would be above your pay grade.” Alex mutters, as Max wraps up the official part of the briefing and turns to schmooze with some senior agent from the Intelligence division, and she is gratified to hear at least Lucy snicker at that.

There’s silence for a few minutes after that, as most of the agents look back up at the scan of the letter up on the projector, each of them wanting the glory of cracking the uncrack-eable.

“There’s something weird about this one.” Alex says after a while, frowning.

The rest of the guys ignore her, but Lucy looks over, eyebrows raised.

“What you got, hotshot?” Lucy asks.

“I’ve created a content-based pattern of how this guy writes his letters.” Alex says, “This one is different. This time he used a signifier....”

She points at the letter again, to the first sentence.

_To the blissfully ignorant,_

_I write again from Missoula, Montana because you misnumbered the signs..._

“It’s capitalized.” Lucy says, looking at the word that Alex had been pointing at. “Missoula, Montana. Is he giving away the location of his new crime? Why would he do that?”

Alex doesn’t reply at once, looking back up at the screen instead, certain phrases in the letter catching her attention.

_Missoula...misnumbered the signs...misinformed sinners and liars...mistaking misery for joy...miss divine inspiration..._

_Mis..._

Suddenly, something strikes Alex, something that her sister Kara had said over the phone, when Alex had been dressing to go to work this morning. It had been about an event that Kara had been assigned to cover, in her new job as a reporter for Catco Magazine. An event happening right in National City. An event that Alex had rolled her eyes at, as soon as Kara had explained what it was about.

“I got it!” Alex exclaims, to the disappointed groans of Lucy and everyone around her.

 

\---

**Maggie**

“It’s the Miss United States pageant!” Detective Maggie Sawyer says out loud to the stunned members of the 13th division of the National City Police Department. “That’s what the Citizen is targeting next.”

“Jesus.” Detective James Olsen says, rubbing his head, “That’s not like anything he’s gone after before.”

“He never works the same way twice.” Maggie reminds him, before looking down at the copy of the Citizen’s letter in her hand.

“If you’re right, Sawyer, this is going to be a logistical nightmare to investigate.” Captain Olivia Marsdin says, rubbing her forehead. “Between the preliminaries, the conferences, the talent rehearsals...”

“The live telecast.” Maggie puts in, as she pulls up the event details on her phone. “That’s going to be the hardest to keep under control.”

“Not just a babe fest, then.” Officer Winn Schott says, looking over Maggie’s shoulders to read the list of events scheduled. He gets a light punch in the shoulder from James for his trouble. “Ow!”

“We’ve got to call the network and pageant people.” Captain Marsdin says, “Set up a meeting to let them know what we’re investigating.”

“We’ll need to install surveillance too.” James puts in. “This guy likes to strike in public. I’m thinking he’s going to go for one of the main events.”

Maggie nods, on the same track as him.

“We need to get somebody in there.” She says, mind racing ahead to potential routes of infiltration. “Someone who can get intel from the inside. Someone who can suss out if there’s anyone connected with the pageant that we need to be wary about.”

“Someone undercover.” James finishes for her.

“Are you saying that we need to infiltrate the pageant itself?” The captain asks, looking doubtful.

“It looks like the best course of action.” Maggie says. “We’ll get someone right in the thick of the action, then. Someone trained. Someone _good._ ”

There’s silence, and then Maggie looks up from her phone to see all eyes focused on her.

“What are you looking at?” she asks self-consciously, and then, “Oh. Oh no. _Hell no.”_

“I don’t have any talent,” Winn says sheepishly, “And while James might look damn good in a dress, I don’t think he’ll pull it off as well as you.”

 

\---

**Alex**

“We’ll need to infiltrate the actual pageant.” Alex says. “Maybe we can get one of our guys into the press box. They’re right next to the stage, and we already know that the Citizen’s MO is to strike in public.”

“Or as a contestant?” Lucy suggests. “That would put one of ours in the best position to gather information.”

“I’m on fire today!” Max exclaims. “Team, we’re going to try to get one of our agents into the pageant, right in the thick of the action.”

Lucy and Alex trade long-suffering looks at each other. Why this incompetent asshole got chosen, out of all the agents in their department, to be deputy supervisor while J’onn is on sick leave, Alex has no idea. She’s willing to wager, though, that his ability to asskiss the right people, and take credit for everything, has more than a little to do with it.

“Lucy’s got a good idea, if we can find an agent from one of the other departments, who’s willing to go through with this.” Alex says.

“Let me hit up Vasquez in Intelligence, and see if she has anyone that she can refer me to.” Lucy says, already pulling out her phone, when Max puts out a hand to stop her.

“Oh no.” Max’s tone is downright oily.” I think we’ve got a prime candidate right here.”

Alex looks around at the other equally confused agents. When she looks at Max again, though, it’s her he’s staring back at, a triumphant smile on his face.

“Oh no. Like _hell_ you’re getting me in a dress on stage.” Alex growls, and the other agents quail at her tone, but Max only smirks at her.

 

\---

**Alex**

“I don’t see why you’re not the one roped into this.” Alex grumbles to Lucy, as they lounge in the empty briefing room the next day. “At least you can dance. That’s the talent portion take care of, right there.”

“Because I told Maxwell that my father would put a bullet through his head, if he even suggested it.” Lucy says matter-of-factly. “I don’t think even Max is stupid enough to piss off a four-star general.”

Alex closes her eyes and looks up at the ceiling, savoring the mental image of Max with a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead, when the douchebag in question himself walks into the briefing room.

“Ok team, let’s get cracking.” Max announces, “Danvers, I got your dress from the Special Ops division right here.”

He throws a black dress at her, as Alex glares murder at him.

“Ok, let’s get back to outlining the plan.” Lucy says, looking back down at the forms she’s been filling out, to hand over to Legal regarding the operation.

“We need to take care of the jurisdiction problem.” Alex says, as it suddenly occurs to her. “We can’t have the NCPD butting in on this investigation.”

Lucy shakes her head.

“I’ve got it covered.” she says, “We had jurisdiction from the start on the Citizen case. Although... we should put in a call to NCPD, just to be sure.”

“Lucy, make sure you put in a call to NCPD, to let them know we have jurisdiction over the Citizen case.” Maxwell barks, right over Lucy’s words.

“We’ll need to set up a meeting with the pageant director, too.” Alex says, ignoring him. “I’ll work with Admin to set one up for tomorrow, Lucy.”

“I’ll be attending too.” Max puts in, getting a long-suffering sigh from Alex.

“You know what?” Lucy says, looking back and forth between them. “I’m going to go hand these forms into Legal, while you two work out the details of that meeting.”

Alex glares at her as she leaves, for abandoning her with the asshole, but Lucy only gives her a sympathetic look, and mouths “Better you than me.”

“Hey, Danvers.” Max drawls out, as Alex turns back to him. “Maybe you should wear that dress tomorrow, for your meeting with the pageant director. Although...you sure you don’t want to do a private rehearsal beforehand?”

That does it.

Alex grabs the letter opener that Lucy had left behind in her haste. Before Max can move, or even shout, she has it pressed against his throat, digging into the skin, causing Max’s eyes to open wide. He gulps, and then tries not to do it again, when the tip of the letter opener presses harder.

“Don’t you ever fucking say that shit to me again.” Alex growls, consequences and her career goals be damned.

“I don’t think you want to go there, Danvers.” He spits out, and suddenly Maxwell Lord doesn’t look like a blistering idiot anymore.

“Everyone knows that the reason you’re not on paid leave right now, after your fuckup on the Astra case, is because you’re J’onn’s favorite.” He continues, as Alex bares her teeth in a rictus. “If it was up to me, you wouldn’t even have a job here anymore, so why don’t you take the crumbs I throw your way, and be happy about it?”

“Go fuck yourself.” Alex snaps, and storms out, grabbing the dress along the way, but her comeback has no bite to it

He’s right, after all. She _is_ a fuckup.

 

\---

**Maggie**

When Maggie walks into the station the next day, she’s immediately accosted by James.

“A call came in from the FBI overnight.” he informs her without preamble. “They’re claiming jurisdiction over the Citizen case.”

Maggie frowns.

“This is our case.” She says, striding over to her desk and throwing her bag down on it, as James follows. “It’s happening in _our_ state, in _our_ city. We have a right to protect our citizens.”

After all, National City had taken her in when even her own parents wouldn’t. After all, she has found a home - or at least a stability of some sort - in this station, with the other officers whom Maggie is not exactly close to, but feels joined to regardless, bound by their united promise to protect this city.

How dare someone threaten her city? How dare some outsiders expect her to just stand by, and not take steps to protects its people, while they swoop in and take over?

James just shrugs at her frustration.

“We told them that, but they wouldn’t budge.” he says. “They’ve got a bee in their bonnet over this Citizen guy.”

Maggie frowns.

“Here’s the thing.” She says, getting the words out slowly, because it’s hard to vocalize the doubts she has been having, without anything concrete to go on. “I think there’s a possibility that we’re not dealing with the Citizen here.”

Any other detective might have dismissed her and the claim outright, but James just leans closer, waiting silently for her to continue.

“Forensic came back with something odd.” Maggie says. “The typewriter used to type the newest letter is different from the ones the other letters were typed with.”

The Citizen’s quirk for using typewriters to type his letters is well-known to the public but, what most of the public _doesn’t_ know is that it is possible to uniquely identify the typewriter used in a particular instance, by analyzing unique quirks in the type face. Specific damage and defects to each typewriter, damage and defects to the typeface, as well as improper ribboning, could all lead to certain letters being typed in peculiarly different ways, even with two typewriters that were identical models.

And this is what Maggie is banking her hunch on, although judging from James’s face, he’s not all that impressed with Forensic’s findings on the matter.

“The Citizen has used two different typewriters before.” he points out.

“And now there’s a third one in the mix.” Maggie says, “Compounded by the use of a signifier in his letters, which broke from the pattern created by all his previous letters. Isn’t it odd that we were unable to crack all his other letters, but both the FBI and NCPD managed to crack this one?”

James looks just a little swayed, but he is still shaking his head.

“The FBI will never listen.” He says. “My contacts tell me they’ve really got it in for the Citizen guy. They’re going all in on him.”

“Then, they might be chasing a false lead.” Maggie says, “While the real criminal gets away with their threat.”

“If that really is the case, then I say we go in, jurisdiction or damned.” Says a voice behind them.

Maggie whirls around, realizing that Captain Marsdin had been listening in on their discussion.

“You think we should still go through with the op?” Maggie asks, blinking.

The captain nods.

“Let’s go all in.” She says, “But, try to suss out who the feds are, and stay away from them. That means you’ve got a dress rehearsal to go to, Sawyer.”

Maggie frowns, thinking of the ordeal awaiting her.

“This is going to be worth it.” She says, mostly to convince herself. “This has _got_ to be worth it.”

After all, they are going to be saving lives, if this plan works. What’s public embarrassment on a national scale, compared to that?

“Hey.” James says softly to Maggie, as the captain walks away. “You’ve got this.”

Then he grins suddenly, as he picks up a camera from his own desk. It’s one of his hobbies, something he’s ridiculously good at. He points the lens at her, pretending to take shots, as he speaks.

“And besides, Maggie, you’ll have me as backup.”

 

\---

**Alex**

“You understand, this sort of thing is just not done!” Rhea Matthews - director of the Miss United States beauty pageant - exclaims, as she looms over her desk down at Alex. “You cannot simply ask to replace a candidate in this prestigious position!”

From the way she says it, Alex might have as well asked for Miss Matthews to drop her in as the replacement president of the United States.

“It’s a beauty pageant.” Alex says evenly. “And the contestant is dropping out anyway. All we’re asking you is to ensure that our agent makes it to the top ten, so we can conduct this investigation as thoroughly as possible.”

“It is not a beauty pageant!” Rhea Matthews hisses, right over her words. “It’s a scholarship program.”

Alex barely resists the urge to roll her eyes, well aware that this is Maxwell she’s conducting this meeting with, not J’onn. From the corner of her eyes, she can see Max watching her with a little smile, as he stays silent. He’s pretending that she’s in charge of the conversation, giving her just enough rope to hang herself with.

“Well, we’re here to protect the girls of your...scholarship program.” Alex segues smoothly. “I’m sure you don’t want any of them hurt, Miss Matthews. We can make sure of that.”

Ms. Matthews sits back down, breathing heavily.

“Fine.” She grits out, a few moments later, as Alex continues to watch her blandly. “You can take the place of Miss California.”

Alex keeps her face smooth as she nods.

“Thank you for your corporation, Miss Matthews.”

“Anything else you need?” Miss Matthews asks sarcastically.

Alex smiles.

“Just one thing.” She says. “I have a contact, a reporter who works for Catco Magazine. I want her to have access to the press box.”

She’s aware of Max suddenly staring at her with narrowed eyes, but Alex stares Rhea Matthews down until she nods.

“What the hell was that?” Max hisses, as they take their leave, and walk back down the corridor towards the black van waiting outside.

Alex shakes her head smoothly.

“Kara is a civilian and a reporter.” She says. “She can get into places that we can’t, and she’s very good at getting people to talk. She could be an asset, if we need her.”

Max looks at her suspiciously, and his nod is grudging. Alex just keeps walking, willing not to let a triumphant smile appear on her face.

After all, if she has to squeeze herself into a Size 2, and primp and preen for the world to see, and for her department to laugh at, she might as well get a career boost for her sister out of it.

 

\---

**Maggie**

“You’ve got this.” James repeats his earlier words to Maggie, as he drops her off at the stadium where the pageant is scheduled to begin. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“A bullet through my head.” Maggie deadpans, getting an exasperated shake of the head from him.

“Just get in there, Sawyer.” he says, giving her a playful shove towards the entrance. “Meanwhile, I’m going to go see what I can ferret out of my fellow members of the press.”

He waggles his eyebrows, before walking off in the direction of the Daily Planet press van, where a reporter friend of his had managed to net him press credentials as a photographer.

Maggie takes a short breath, before walking into the main building, finding her handler waiting inside for her. After the usual greetings, he directs her towards the congregation room, where she’ll be meeting the rest of the contestants.

“Good luck.” he says.

“I’m going to need it.” Maggie mutters, before putting her game face on, and heading for the indicated room.

Time to take down the Citizen. Or die of embarrassment. Whichever came earlier.

 

\---

**Alex**

Alex hesitates for so long outside the doors leading into the pageant stadium, that Kara has to physically take her hand and lead her to them, before pushing her inside with a hard shove.

“They’ll find out.” Alex says, a rare burst of insecurity overtaking her. “I’m going to blow my cover on live television, Kara. I’ll be a laughing stock.”

“You’re my sister, and agent of the month in your department for two years running.” Kara says sternly, giving the words an inflection as if both of those things are worth the same amount. “You’ll be _fine.”_

And so Alex had gone in, meeting her handler and then being pointed to the congregation room. The same room that she’s currently standing in front of, facing the closed door with no small amount of trepidation.

 _“Five minutes, ladies.”_ The reminder comes from the overhead speakers stationed everywhere in the place.

Alex holds back a gulp, inexplicably nervous all of a sudden. She’s faced down gunfire in the desert, and subdued cartel kings, and apprehended a world-renowned art thief all by herself. Why is the prospect of going into a room full of _beauty queens_ making her nervous?

“I get confused about how doors work too, sometimes, but turning the handle usually helps.” A voice says from behind her.

The words are perhaps more sarcastic than they need to be, but the voice is just warm and amused enough to take any sting out of them.

Alex whips around, immediately placing the woman behind her from the headshots as Miss Nebraska, the one who had stepped in after the original contestant from that state had come down with the flu.

“I know how doors work.” She says. Alex Danvers, master of the cutting comeback.

She remembers, now, that there had been a headshot she had lingered on just a little more than all the other contestants’, captivated by something in the dimpled face that smiled out at her. An asymmetrical tilt to the smile. A sparkle in the eyes. Something both amused and challenging in in the facial expression. Knowing even, maybe. Something _different._

This is who that headshot belongs to, and for some reason, Alex feels even more captivated now, seeing those dimples in 3D, and that disarming fire in Maggie Sawyer’s eyes.

“Then you better get moving, Danvers.” Maggie Sawyer says. That smile of hers flashes again, except now it’s _real_ , not a photograph, and it makes Alex feel like she’s been punched in the gut. “Roll call is in five minutes, and I’ve heard Matthews is a stickler when it comes to punctuality.”

She walks neatly past Alex, turns the handle and slips inside, so smoothly that Alex watches, entranced, before she shakes herself, berating herself just a little for hesitating so much over this simple step.

Where the fuck had hesitating got her last time? Her team endangered and J’onn shot.

Alex squares her shoulders and marches in after Maggie.

 

\---

**Maggie**

Danvers is the FBI mole.

Maggie is sure of it. It’s obvious in the way Danvers holds herself in front of the camera, like she’s not used to it all, in awkward stances that seem to charm viewers nevertheless. It’s also obvious in the smooth way that she stalks around outside of the podium, all coiled power and danger.

They’re on-stage for a runthrough, and their handlers have left them alone for a blessed few minutes, after the videographer had called for a break. Maggie watches now, as Danvers palms the side of her dress - which comes with pockets, Maggie notes with envy, _damn_ the bountiful budget of the feds - and comes out with something that looks like a tube of lipstick. She moves it towards her lips, mouth parting just a little, as if applying it.

Maggie - because she is watching Danvers avidly, and because she’s on the lookout for it - can see her lips moving, though, almost entirely concealed by her hand. Like she’s talking. Reporting, maybe, on the case to someone else on her team, in the same way that Maggie reports into the mic clipped behind her ear, hidden by her loose-flowing hair.

Maggie keeps one eye on Danvers as she herself wanders around the stage, taking in the noise around her to see if she can glean anything useful. The loudest sound is that of Rhea Matthews barking orders at the stage manager - Michael Daxham - who runs around catering to her every whim. Maggie can also hear the muted hums of contestants chatting to each other, or speaking into their phones. Nothing useful there.

She casually tries to wander closer to Danvers, hoping to overhear a snatch of whatever she might be muttering to her crew. Even before she’s halfway there, Danvers whips around suddenly, as if realizing that she’s being watched. Her eyes narrow, as she locks gazes with Maggie.

Maggie wills herself to smile, and then look away calmly, as if she has no particular interest, as if she doesn’t feel compelled to stare back, to hold their locked gaze and see what comes of it. She can’t afford to get Danvers’ notice, because the woman is obviously sharp, dangerous to be reckoned with, and Maggie can’t tell how she’ll act, if she finds out that the NCPD is horning in on fed territory.

Maggie shakes her head, as she casually turns and walks in the opposite direction, heading for the refreshments table. Yeah, she can’t afford to get Danvers’ notice.

Too bad Danvers has already got hers.

 

\---

**Alex**

There’s a swimsuit portion. Of-fucking-course there’s a swimsuit portion.

Alex faintly remembers being briefed on this by Lucy, but either she must have been spaced out, or her brain must have blocked it out for her own self-preservation, because the two piece that her handler gives her comes as a total surprise.

She can hear Lucy keeping a running commentary in her ear now, as Alex waits backstage for her cue to go out and strut her stuff.

“Daaaamn, Alex, back at it again with the washboard abs.” Lucy comments, as the backstage camera pans over her, which is no doubt being broadcasted on one of the TV channels being shown in the disguised FBI van parked outside the stadium.

“I’ll murder you and your entire family.” Alex mutters, getting an askance glance from Miss Kansas next to her.

“That’s not gonna get you out of this show, hot stuff.”

Lucy’s voice in her ear is weirdly calming though, when Alex gets on stage following the group of girls before her, as is Kara’s grinning face in the crowd, as she shoots Alex thumbsup after thumbsup.

Alex just focuses on these two things, and it’s like the world and the cameras recede.

“Nice work, California.” Miss Montana says with some surprise, as Alex makes her way back. “You looked like you were going to faint, at the start, but you pulled through.”

Alex grunts a thank you, and pointedly does not look at the front of the stage, where it’s Miss Nebraska’s - _Maggie Sawyer’s_ \- turn to come up to the front now.

She can feel her face heating up regardless, though, because she _remembers_ how Sawyer had looked in her one-piece, in a way that had Alex’s stomach sweeping and her chest feeling all funny and tight, especially when Sawyer had turned her dimpled smile towards Alex for just a split second, looking half-amused and half-delighted as she’d raked her eyes up Alex’s own outfit.

Alex clears her throat, fiercely blocks that memory out of her head, and watches the audience instead, hoping for a distraction. Her eyes fall on the press box that Kara is in, and narrow as she sees Michael Daxham, the stage manager, there. That prick is smiling and talking to Kara, to Alex’s _baby sister_ , with that same smarmy smile on his face that he uses on the other contestants, the smile that Miss New York had described as _charming._

All of a sudden, Alex sees red, and feels all but ready to march down to the press box right then and there. Even as she watches, though, Kara just laughs politely at whatever Daxham is telling her, before firmly turning her head back to the front, and re-engaging in her conversation with James Olsen, that photographer from the Daily Planet that she had told Alex about earlier.

“And we’ll be back tomorrow, with our top ten ladies, for the talent competition!” the host announces, signaling the end of the show for the night. “Don’t miss out!”

Alex sags momentarily as the cameras move away, but recovers when she sees the other contestants milling in the general direction of the changing rooms, discussing plans about heading out to a restaurant afterward.

Instead of following them, Alex lags behind, and looks around her. The stage crew is all engaged in taking down the set-up, and preparing for the next day. Michael Daxham seems to be in a heated conversation with Rhea Matthews, and the host is already making his way outside to a waiting car.

Alex smiles grimly, and heads back, after a quick change, in the opposite direction of the changing rooms. Now is her chance to snoop a little.

She hasn’t done much more than walking by the offices of the show-holders, and peeking into a few open doors, before a voice accosts her.

“Did you just forget the way to your room, or-?”

It must be because this entire pageant has her so strung up, on top of the usual nerves that come with every operation. In any case, Alex recoils back and has the speaker pinned against the nearest wall, before she really registers the familiar voice.

The voice of Maggie Sawyer, who is now currently plucking at Alex hands that are pinning her against the wall, looking just a little annoyed.

“Ok, how did you do that?” She asks, sounding surprised.

Alex steps back as if burned.

“You followed me?” She asks, guilt at her rough handling making her tone snappy and cold.

What was Sawyer thinking? Alex could have seriously hurt her. What had _Alex_ been thinking?

“I thought you might.be lost.” Sawyer says smoothly.

Then she tilts her head and looks up at Alex.

“Never seen a beauty contestant do that before.” She says, nodding at the wall she had been held back against. “Is that your pageant talent, G.I. Jane?”

Alex flushes, of all things. Why that damn throaty voice should be doing things to her insides, she has no idea, or the way that Sawyer’s eyes flick up from under thick eyelashes.

“None of your business.” She says, her own voice rough from that realization.

“What were you doing here?” Sawyer insists.

“Just...just stay out of my way, Sawyer.” Alex hisses, and heads past the other woman for her own room, unable to ignore the feeling of Maggie’s gaze searing into her back.

 

\---

**Maggie**

Maggie has made an effort to cultivate something of a friendship with the other girls at the pageant, if only for the sake of the operation, but she’s still surprised when they invite her to their girls night’s out.

By the time they’ve hit the restaurant and then the bar, most of the girls are definitely tipsy, and Maggie, who had stopped after the first glass, is glad to have been asked along, if only to keep an eye on them.

It doesn’t escape her notice that Danvers too, orders exactly one glass, downs half of it, and leaves the rest untouched for the night, as if to deter offers of a refill. It also doesn’t escape her notice that Danvers is the only other besides her to remain quiet for the most of the night. Quiet, but listening avidly, if her reactionary body gestures are any clue.

“We should probably head back soon, before Miss Matthews realizes that we’re up this late.” Miss New York - Eve Tessmacher - murmurs eventually, a few minutes past midnight, when the conversation reaches a natural lull.

“Yeah, Rhea’s got a boot up her ass about something.” Miss Montana - Leslie Willis - agrees.

“You know, I don’t think she ever got over the rumors.” Miss Kansas - Lena Luthor - says thoughtfully, peering down in her glass of vodka.

“Come again?” Maggie asks, taking care to keep her tone light but interested. From the corner of her eyes, she sees Danvers’ head turning towards them, from where she had been staring out the window.

“You haven’t heard the rumors?” Miss Missouri - Iris West - asks. “Her pageant years... she was a runner-up. But then, the winner mysteriously got food poisoning.”

Maggie finds herself involuntarily turning to Alex in the face of this revelation, and to her surprise finds Alex staring back at her too, looking as if a light had gone on.

“That’s odd.” Alex says, her tone rough, as if from disuse.

“And here’s the thing.” Miss Missouri continues. Maggie remembers from one of the interview portions that this girl wants to be a reporter, and is an intern at Central City Picture News, and she can easily see that now, in the inquisitive stare that Iris levels at the rest of them. “I was talking to the show host, and he let slip that Miss Matthews got a letter from the network a few weeks back...they’re firing her!”

“I heard she threw a chair out her window today morning.” Miss Georgia - Siobhan Smythe - says, smirking. “Maybe that’s why.”

“Come on, girls, we gotta go.” Eve says, interrupting the conversation by looking at her watch and chivvying all the girls out the bar. “Before the dragon lady starts breathing fire!”

Maggie follows the group of girls docilely, aware of Danvers walking next to her, aware and calculating.

Well, this changes things. This changes a lot of things, especially Maggie puts it together with everything else they know so far.

She wonders what Danvers had made of the little revelation tonight, and resolves to keep an eye on the other woman.

 

\---

**Alex**

As soon as she leaves the rest of her girls and is back in her own room, Alex turns her earpiece back on, and hisses at Lucy to wake up.

“Danvers?” Lucy’s groggy voice asks in her ear. “What the fuck?”

Alex takes a deep breath.

“I think I’ve got a lead.” She says, “But I’ll need to go investigate to get proof. Stay with me.”

She repeats the salient details to Lucy in a low voice, as she slips out of her dress and into a black suit, and leaves her room, after making sure the hallway is clear.

“Alex, you’re not making any sense!” Lucy hisses into her ear, as Alex tiptoes her way towards Rhea Matthews’ makeshift office. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that Rhea Matthews, the organizer of the Miss United States Pageant, could be the Citizen?”

“I don’t know.” Alex whispers back, “It’s just a hunch, and I want to follow it through.”

She reaches Matthews’ office after a nerve-wracking few minutes, and turns the handle, cursing at finding it locked.

“I’m going to try to pick the lock.” She mumbles, scrambling in her pocket for something she could use.

“Alex, we learned that in training _once.”_ Lucy hisses, “Are you serious?”

“How come you always seem to have trouble with door handles?” An amused voice comes from behind Alex, at the same time.

Alex whirls around, and this time she does even bother to attack, knowing exactly who she’d find there.

Maggie Sawyer is looking at her amusedly.

“Danvers, come in.” Lucy says in Alex’s ear. “What the fuck was that?”

“It’s fine.” Alex says, turning her body cam for Lucy’s benefit, and then, “What are you doing here, Sawyer? It’s past your bedtime.”

“I could say the same for you.” Sawyer fires back, “Why are you trying to break into the pageant director’s office in the middle of the night? And what’s with the outfit?”

Alex’s ignores her, and gets up, trying to brush past Sawyer without a reply. Sawyer puts up a single hand, though, to halt her progress.

For some reason, Alex does stop. Maybe because she’s curious, to find out what happens. Maybe because Sawyer looks entirely too unsurprised to have found Alex in this situation.

Alex, though, is almost floored by what happens next. Sawyer lifts her hand, and casually tilts a badge towards Alex, that shines in the faint light coming in through one of the hallway windows. Her other hand is holding an identification card.

“NCPD, Major Crimes Division.” She says, “Showed you mine, now show me yours.”

There’s a short pause, as Alex hears rapid typing her ear, and then Lucy is speaking into her earpiece, sounding chagrined.

“The ID checks out.”

Sawyer is still watching Alex expectantly. Alex considers denial, but there doesn’t seem to be much point to it, especially when Sawyer had extended the olive branch first.

She palms her FBI badge out of the pocket that Kara had sewn into the chest area of her suit, feeling a little confused when Sawyer blinks rapidly at that motion, and looks away for just a moment.

“Alex Danvers, FBI.” Alex says, ignoring the sputters in her ear from Lucy. “This is _our_ case, detective. What the hell is the NCPD doing here?”

“For starters, helping you out.” Sawyer says. “You guys are on the wrong trail. I don’t think this is the work of the Citizen.”

“It was his letter.” Alex says, feeling some need to defend her agency’s position, even though she’s coming around to that point of view herself.

“We found some inconsistencies with the DNA evidence.” Sawyer says, “XY chromosomes this time. On top of the fact that the letter was typed from a different typewriter.”

“We don’t actually know the gender of the Citizen.” Alex argues. “And they might have used a different typewriter, just to throw us off.”

“There was something off with the letter.” Sawyer says, shaking her head.

And the weird thing is, it makes sense. All those little inconsistencies had been nagging at Alex too, but she had pushed them away when none of the other agents had commented on them, because she’s never really been able to trust her own instincts, after the J’onn thing.

But, here’s Sawyer - _Maggie_ \- affirming her own doubts.

“Off like how?” Alex asks, wetting her lips.

Maggie shakes her head.

“I’ll tell you when we’re both not trying to do something very illegal on a time crunch.” she says, “Now step aside, D- _Alex_.”

She takes a pin out of her mass of beautiful hair, and inserts it into the door, turning it this way and that, as Alex looks on, fascinated

“There.” Maggie murmurs after a while, and looks around, before turning the door open.

 

\---

**Maggie**

Maggie’s first thought, as she pushes open the door to Rhea Matthews’ office and steps inside with Alex, is that Matthews seems very much to be a woman from another era altogether.

The shelves in the makeshift office are lined with all her trophies, and the walls are plastered with faded glamour shots.

“Does she just bring all this along with her, everywhere she goes?” Alex mutters. “You’d need a whole van just for the trophies.”

Maggie smiles, and is about to say something snarky in return, when Alex freezes and grabs hold of her hand.

“Look.” she mutters to Maggie, and nods across the room, where an old typewriter is nestled by the window, moonlight shining on it.

“You think it might be-?” Maggie starts.

“Only one way to find out.” Alex says, already heading for it.

They type out a few pages of the typewriter, after dusting for fingerprints with the kit that Alex had produced from somewhere in her suit. Then Alex takes a few photographs of the machine, followed by Maggie doing the same with her cellphone.

“Too bad we can’t just steal the typewriter.” Maggie says, with some amusement. “Hand the whole thing to Forensic, and see what they come up with.”

“Right.” Alex says, and she looks just a little too wistful.

“ _No_ , Danvers.” Maggie says. “We are not stealing the typewriter.”

Alex nods grudgingly.

“You really think she might be a copycat?” Alex asks, and she seems genuinely interested in Maggie’s opinion, which is more than Maggie can say even for most of the detectives in her own office.

“It’s a possibility.” she says. “So, where do we go from here?”

For a moment, Alex looks like she wants to tell Maggie to back off. Maggie tenses, aware that she’s walking a very fine line here, and that this could all blow up in her face.

When Alex speaks again, though, she switches off her earpiece and body cam before she does so, and her tone is not at all hostile.

“You know,” Alex says, her voice low and vulnerable, “My supervisor didn’t really listen to me, when I raised concerns with this case. He said I was just making things up. Even my colleague-” she taps at her ear “-wasn’t all that sure about me.”

She smiles down at Maggie.

“You’re the first person here to make me think that maybe I’m not just building castles out of the air.”

 

\---

**Alex**

“What are you doing with all these?” Maggie asks Alex the next day, when she sees the table of glasses that Alex has lined up, along with some bottles of water.

“With any luck,” Alex answers carelessly. “Showing the audience how to make a bottle of red disappear in three minutes flat.”

Maggie smiles at that, dimples in full view today, and Alex’s heart stutters just a little.

It’s a stupid party trick that her father had taught her, this musical water glasses trick. It’s stuck in Alex’s mind though, like many other inconsequential memories of her dad.

Maggie’s name is called soon, and Alex can’t resist leaving her station backstage to stand just behind the curtains, sneaking a peak at her performance.

And _god,_ Maggie dances ballet beautifully. After she had found out about the NCPD thing, Alex had just assumed those muscles to be from police work, or gym workouts, but watching Maggie dance on stage is breathtaking. The way she flows from stance to stance is downright mesmerizing.

“That was amazing.” Alex blurts out, when Maggie returns at the end of the performance.

“Thanks.” Maggie says, but her voice is suddenly low and muted. “As long as it’s believable enough to get me into the Top Five.”

“Well, you’re a shoo-in.” Alex remarks, and that, at least, gets a faint smile. “Where did you learn _that,_ Sawyer?”

Maggie turns away, grabbing a towel and wiping at her face with it.

“My mother made me take ballet when I was a kid.” She says, voice muffled and face hidden by the towel. “Guess the muscle memory stuck with me.”

She walks away then, leaving Alex frowning at her, feeling a sudden urge to ask Maggie if she’s okay.

Alex blinks and turns away, shaking that particular thought off. Why should she feel this kind of over-protectiveness for someone she barely knows? It must just be the pageant nerves getting to her.

She heads back to her table, knowing she’ll be called soon, and stops short. There’s a group of girls all around the area, drinking up _her_ water with _her_ glasses, gabbling about how much they needed the refreshment.

“Hey!” Alex says, rushing towards them and flapping them away from the table. “You can’t just - that’s my talent you’re drinking!”

It’s too late, though. Her talent is ruined, and Alex hears her name being called.

She squares her shoulders. After all, improvising is part and parcel of being an agent.

“Lucy!” Alex hisses, as she walks towards the blinding lights. “Tell Max to come on stage!”

“What?” Lucy asks, sounding supremely confused. “What for?”

“I don’t have time to explain.” Alex says, putting on a rictus smile as the host announces her in. “Just tell him to get up here.”

“And now, the musical stylings of Alex Danvers.” The host says, just as the spotlight hits Alex.

“Good evening.” she says, blinking a little, and then feeling grounded as she spots Kara in the crowd, waving at her. “The program says I'm supposed to play the water glasses for you...but the girls got dehydrated.”

The audience laughs at that. Alex wonders if they think she’s doing a standup routine.

“I believe no woman should be without a basic knowledge of self-defense.” she says. “So in order to show you this, I'm going to need a little help. I would like to bring out my assistant, Max Bob.“

She gestures at Max, as he walks on stage, looking like a deer in headlights. Alex tries not to smirk.

“In some cases, your attacker might come at you in a frontal assault. Use the heel of your hand and thrust.”

Alex follows through with the actual motion as she speaks, causing Max to double over in pain.

“This will cause the nose to break.” Alex says, with no little satisfaction. “And your assailant's eyes to tear, giving you a chance to get away.”

Alex should’ve known better than to rely on the idiot, though. Another kick from her, one that he should have known how to block if he had gone through the training exercises that the rest of the agents in her department were _required_ to complete, and Max fairly runs off stage, as if fleeing from her presence, to raucous cheers from the audience, who clearly think it’s part of the program.

Alex bites back a curse as he retreats, frustrated. There’s still 3 minutes left in her routine. _What now?_

And then - Alex almost swallows her own tongue in surprise - someone is walking on stage. _Maggie_ is walking on stage, coming to a halt before Alex. She positions her arms in a classic defense position, and looks at Alex, raising her eyebrows.

Alex clears her throat.

“And sometimes-” she says, mind working furiously to come up with something, “Sometimes you come up against someone a little more evenly matched to your own skills.”  

Maggie smiles, just a little and shifts into an offensive position.

“Say your assailant comes at you from behind.” Alex says, “Attack me!”

Maggie does so without hesitation. Alex disarms her easily, shouting out the instructions to the audience as she does so, and Maggie goes down, making exaggerated facial and hand motions as she does so, drawing more cheers and laughter from the crowd.

The next three minutes are glorious. Alex shouts instructions mostly for the benefit of the crowd. Maggie doesn’t need them, simply anticipating the reactions Alex needs from her by reading Alex’s body language and calling on her own experience. She blocks when Alex needs her to, and fakes taking a hit when Alex needs her to, but she also reverses a spinning kick and throws Alex herself on her back, as Alex explains, winded and breathless from the ground, how one can attack while on the defense.

They get a standing fucking ovation when they finish, but all Alex can hear is her own heartbeat pounding in her ear, and all she can see is how Maggie’s dark eyes are shining, like stars in the infinite universe.

 

\---

**Alex**

Alex calls J’onn up that night, ostensibly to give him a briefing on how the op is going so far, but really just to hear his voice again. In a normal week, today would have been the day she makes the drive up to visit him at his place, right after she clocks out from work. For now, she settles for the phone call.

“But how are _you_ doing?” J’onn asks, after Alex relates the new developments in the case to him.

Alex hesitates.

“I’m kind of getting fond of all the girls.” she admits.

She hadn’t really expected to. If anything, she had gone into this expecting a grueling week of being forced to put up with the same kind of girls who had given Kara a hard time in high school, the same kind of girls that Alex had been almost suspended for threatening to beat up, but every woman here has surprised her.

There are the interesting conversations she’s had with Miss Kansas - Lena - who is an engineering major despite her mother’s best efforts to put an end to that career path. Alex and she have had a lot of fun comparing their respective experiences at Stanford.

Miss New York - Eve - seems to be great at smoothing over whatever disagreements arise between the girls, and she had been delighted to find out from Alex that Kara worked for CatCo. She seems to have a serious case of hero worship for Kara’s boss, and it reminds Alex of Kara herself.

Miss Montana - Leslie - is kind of an asshole, but Alex likes the way she mouths off even to Rhea Matthews, and the way she makes snide jokes at Miss Kansas’ pompous mother every time she stops by.

Miss Missouri - Iris - kind of terrifies Alex with how curious and observant she is, and Alex finds herself constantly on guard against tripping up her cover around her, but Iris reminds Alex of Kara even more strongly than Eve does.

Alex doesn’t know much about Miss Georgia - Siobhan - other than her close friendship with Miss Montana, but she rips Michael Daxham a new one every time the stage manager tries to sneak into their dressing room on some flimsy pretext, and that immediately puts her in Alex’s good books.

It’s Miss Nebraska, of course, that captivates her attention most, and Alex tries to hold back heated cheeks as she tells J’onn about Maggie, even though that’s silly. It’s not like she has any real reason to blush, and it’s not like J’onn can see her through the phone.

“So the NCPD is muscling in on our investigation?” J’onn sounds alarmed.

“Well, she’s been more helpful than Max has been so far.” Alex huffs. “I _like_ working with her J’onn. She just so - so - _competent.”_

She settles on that word after a struggle, even though it still seems woefully inadequate for everything that she thinks Maggie is.

J’onn seems to be listening closely over the phone, as she says this. Suddenly, he chuckles.

“If that’s your judgment call, Danvers,” he says, “Listen to it.”

Alex looks down, tracing patterns on her bedspread. In her mind, she can still see J’onn lying wounded on the warehouse floor, his leg bleeding.

“Don’t think my judgment goes for much these days.” she offers.

“Nonsense.” J’onn’s brisk reply comes back instantaneously.

“I got you hurt.” Alex says.

“You tried to negotiate with someone who you thought had a chance of surrendering.” J’onn argues.

“I hesitated to pull the trigger.” Alex sighs. “And you got hurt because of me.”

There had been an eco-terrorist gang they were hunting. It should have been a routine job. Alex should have gone in with her team, subdued the hostiles, and turned the case over to the AUSA for trial. Except that the leader of this particular group - known only as Astra to the feds until that point - had been different.

Astra had been Kara’s aunt. Her only living blood relative, after the fire that had consumed Kara’s parents. And even though Astra was a terrorist, Alex had thought for some reason that she would see reason, that she would stand down for the sake of seeing Kara again.

So, she had gone in alone to negotiate, indulging in a wild, senseless hope, and got J’onn almost killed in the process, when he came in after to rescue her.

“It’s not your fault, Alex.” J’onn says now. “You did the best you could with the information you had, and because of your quick thinking, we all made it out alive.”

“But not before I put the whole team in danger in the first place.” Alex sighs.

There’d been a hearing. There had been blame assigned. Alex had almost lost her job, had lost the only thing that had made her feel worthwhile since her father’s death.

“Listen to yourself, Alex Danvers.” J’onn insists. “You’re right more often than you think. Even Astra turned herself in, eventually, and I don’t think that would have happened without you first offering to negotiate with her.”

Alex smiles weakly.

“How do you always know the right thing to say, J’onn?” she asks.

“Because it’s true, Alex.” he replies, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

 

\---

**Maggie**

The next day, the day of the finale, Maggie wakes up to the news that the Citizen has been apprehended in Florida.

“It’s the real deal.” James tells her, when she manages to escape her handler and rendez-vous with him that morning. “They matched the fingerprints, found the two typewriters in his place...everything adds up. They got their guy.”

“But that means-” Maggie flounders.

“It means you were probably right, Maggie.” James finishes for her. “We _are_ dealing with a copycat here, even if the feds don’t see it that way.”

“Still?” Maggie asks, eyes narrowing as she thinks back to what Alex had told her earlier.

James grimaces.

“I heard it from one of my contacts.” he admits. “The FBI still thinks the Citizen was behind the letter. They’re packing up and heading home, because they think that the threat has been neutralized.”

Maggie shakes her head, even though she has no reason to feel frustrated over this.

After all, this means NCPD has full rights to this case now. Whatever they uncover, the credit will go to them. To _Maggie_.

She should be happy.

Instead, Maggie just feels worried, for the girls, and especially for Alex.

 

\---

**Alex**

“No way, Danvers.” Max says, shaking his head. “We’re leaving. End of discussion.”

“I’m telling you.” Alex says frustratedly for what seems like the hundredth time. “The Citizen isn’t our guy. Everything points to Rhea Matthews being the likely culprit!”

“Listen to yourself!” Max says. “You’re not making any sense.”

It would be so easy to listen to him. To pack up and leave, and just let the NCPD deal with it.

But the girls. Alex has grown to care for them. For all of them. They’ve taught her so much.

And Kara is still here, covering the event. What if her sister, the only constant in Alex’s topsy-turvy life, gets hurts in the crossfire?

And Maggie. Alex’s heart constricts. Maggie is capable and brave and wonderful, and Alex can’t leave her alone to face whatever it is that Rhea Matthews has planned.

“I request permission to stay with a small contingent.”

“Denied.” Max actually looks like he’s enjoying this, the asshole.

“Then I request permission to stay alone.”

“You know what?” Max rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “If you want to stay? Stay. But as a private citizen. Turn in your badge and your gun.”

He turns back to the rest of the team.

“Everybody else, start packing!”

Alex wants to grit her teeth, and maybe shout at him to listen to her. She knows everyone thinks she’s screwup. But she also can’t help feeling that she was put here in the right place at the right time for a reason.

But, of course, Max doesn’t care about that. He was only ever in it for the glory of being the one who brought the Citizen to his knees.

“Luce?” Alex asks as a final resort, as Lucy makes to follow Max and the rest of the team out the door.

Lucy looks back, looking regretful.

“He’s the boss.” she says. “I have to follow orders, Alex. It’s how I was raised. The agency would be in chaos otherwise.”

Alex sags.

“I’m sorry, Alex.” Lucy says, and she truly does look sorry.

“It’s fine.” Alex says tonelessly, and Lucy leaves after a final regretful look back.

And then, Alex is all alone, without her badge, or her gun, or her team, or her friends. She thinks of the girls, of Kara, and of Maggie, as she sinks down into the bed.

It’ll be worth it. If she can protect them, throwing it all away would be worth it.

 

\---

**Alex**

“He fired you?” Kara says over the phone, sounding incensed. “That...that...jerk!”

Alex chuckles weakly.

“You really need to work on your comebacks, nerd.” she says, and then, “I’m still staying, though.”

Kara doesn’t know the full details of the case, of course, but she seems to recognize something in Alex’s voice.

“Hey, Alex.” she says softly, “Max is an idiot. No way he would have done that if J’onn was around.”

Alex can’t help the sigh that escapes her.

“J’onn only hired me because he and my dad were partners.” she points out. “So, I don’t think he would be objective.”

Whatever loyalty J’onn owed, to the child of the partner who had been shot defending him, would surely have been paid back in full, once he faced the backlash for this latest screwup of Alex’s.

“Who cares what J’onn recruited you for, Alex?” Kara snaps, sounding uncharacteristically angry now. “He tells me at every barbeque about how you’re his best agent. He won’t shut up about it, actually.”

“He’s exaggerating.” Alex says, with a sigh.

“Exaggerating?” Kara repeats, scandalized. “Do you _know_ J’onn?”

Alex lets out a watery chuckle at that.

“I don’t what you’re dealing with, Alex.” Kara says softly, “But I’m here for you. And J’onn will be too, once he hears about it.”

Alex nods, even though she knows Kara can’t see it.

“Thanks, sis.” She says, and then exchanges hasty goodbye with Kara, as her sister is called back to the press room.

Alex puts the phone down and stares at the wall.

She can do this. Even if it’s just her alone. She _has_ to do this.

The door creaks, and Alex springs up, ready to defend herself, no gun or not.

“Whoa, Danvers.” Maggie says, putting her hands up, as she takes in Alex’s battle-ready stance. “It’s just me.”

Alex sinks back down into the bed.

“I got canned.” She admits, without preamble.

Maggie nods.

“I figured as much, when I saw your guys pulling out with the van and all your equipment.” she says.

Alex sinks further.

“I feel like I’ve got no one on my side.” she says. “None of the agents, anyway.”

Maybe she should be embarrassed, to be admitting this to some outsider. Maggie doesn’t _seem_ like an outsider, though. Alex feels like she can say anything to Maggie, and she’d listen with that observant but gentle expression on her face, and it would be fine.

“You’ve got me on your side, Danvers.” Maggie says now. “We’re both after the same guy...or gal, as it happens. It’s better if we work together.”

Alex looks at her, surprised. She had thought Maggie would want to claim the case for the NCPD now.

Maggie just smiles back, those distracting dimples making another appearance.

“Ride or die, Danvers.” she says, sitting on the bed next to Alex. “Let’s do this. Together.”

And oh, she’s so wonderful, this woman. So clever in a way that excites Alex, so brave in a way that resonates, and so _gentle_ for someone in a position that could often be brutal.

Alex can’t help it. She leans forward and kisses Maggie.

Maggie tastes sweet, which is probably the orange juice she likes to drink at breakfast, and Alex is just a little overeager between her nerves and drawn-out anticipation, kissing Maggie slowly but relentlessly, pausing in-between only to let the both of them take shallow breaths, before covering Maggie’s mouth with her own again.

It’s a little messy, and a little trying-to-figure-things-out, and it’s _perfect_ , and Maggie draws back way too soon.

“Alex!” Maggie eyes are wide. “That was- that was-”

She stumbles, as Alex smiles uncertainly.

“Was that not okay?” she asks.

She had thought...all those looks, some of the things Maggie said, the way she touched Alex’s arms and shoulders sometimes. It’s been a while since Alex has done this, or even entertained thoughts of _doing_ this, but she had been so sure that Maggie was interested, especially after Maggie had brought up a couple of ex-girlfriends during one of their conversations.

Maggie’s silence, and her face, tells Alex everything she needs to know about how wrong her assumptions had been.

“I’m sorry!” she blurts out, mortified. “I’m so sorry, Maggie.”

“It’s okay, Alex.” Maggie still seems a little shell-shocked, but her voice is soothing as she continues. “It’s okay. It’s just...I wasn’t...we’re on a job and I’m not-”

 _She’s trying to let me down easy,_ Alex realizes.

“I got you.” she mumbles, this knowledge only making her feel worse, even though Maggie is staring at her with only sympathy and concern. “The mission. I know.”

How unprofessional is she being, Alex chastises herself. Maggie is being so nice, and then Alex goes and throws herself at her like this, and now Maggie actually looks guilty, like she’s blaming _herself_.

“I appreciate your offer to work with me.” Alex says, more to wipe that self-chastising look off Maggie’s face, than for any other reason. “Really, Maggie, _thank you_.”

Maggie smiles tentatively, and Alex smiles back, and it’s okay, they’ll be fine, even if Alex has to move heaven and earth to make it so.

“So where do we start?” she asks Maggie, schooling her face to a businesslike look.

Maggie watches her face closely for a while, and then accepts the change of conversation.

“I’ve found something new.” She says. “Or at least, my colleague - James Olsen - has.”

“James Olsen?”, Alex asks frowning, thinking back to the guy that her sister seems to be getting chummy with in the press box. “The photographer for the Daily Planet?”

“That’s just his cover.” Maggie says, waving her hands. “He’s uncovered something about the stage manager.”

“Michael Daxham? I knew something was up with that douchebag.”

“Daxham is his father’s surname.” Maggie says, “But, we dug a little into his past, and his legal name is Michael Matthews. It was changed when his mother divorced his father.”

“Rhea Matthews!” Alex exclaims. “You’re saying he’s the pageant director’s _son?_ ”

“It could just be a coincidence.” Maggie says, “But I don’t want to pass up on investigating it a bit further.”

And god, now is so not the time for Alex to be admiring how _smart_ Maggie is, but she finds herself doing so anyway. She loves this wickedly sharp investigative side of her so much, just as much as she likes the gentle and vulnerable side.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” she says, and Maggie nods, as if she’d expected as much.

“I had better head out now.” she says, looking a little awkward. “My handler will be looking for me.”

Alex bites her lip and looks down, nodding. Her own handler had, of course, left with the rest of the agents.

As she turns to leave, though, Maggie broaches the subject again. “About earlier...”

“That was on me.” Alex interrupts. “I misjudged. That was all me. I’m sorry, Maggie.”

Maggie says, “It’s not you, Alex. It’s the situation.”

“I know.” Alex says, the words ringing hollowly in the silence. “It’s _fine_ , Maggie. Go get some rest before the show, I’ve kept you here long enough.”

She bites her lips as she realizes how those final words could be taken, feels heat rush to her face and other parts of her body as her brain considers the mere suggestion, but Maggie only looks concerned.

She doesn’t push any further, though, as Alex remains stalwartly professional, and leaves soon after making polite goodbyes.

Alex sinks her face down into her arms as soon as the door closes, berating herself for being such a damn idiot.

Why on earth had she thought Maggie liked her back? Of course, _she_ likes Maggie. That part makes sense. Anyone would like Maggie, with her fierce investigative bravura, and her gentle vulnerability, and her achingly defensive walls that Alex wants to climb over. How could anyone not want all of Maggie, want every part of Maggie that she would allow them to see?

That doesn’t mean that Maggie has to want them back.

Alex groans again, trying to block that thought out, but it keeps returning.

Why doesn’t Maggie want her?

 

\---

**Alex**

It is in the evening, when Alex is sitting at her makeup table in the girls’ joint dressing room, that she realizes the foolish bravado of her words to Max.

She knows a reasonable amount about how to maintain herself - you don’t get to be Lucy Lane’s friend for five years without picking _something_ up through sheer osmosis - but the array of makeup products in front of her is downright dizzying.

“Which one’s the lipstick?” Alex asks out loud, half-seriously.

And then, suddenly, there’s a group of girls converging on Alex, getting her ready. Lena is weaving practiced fingers through her hair, talking about the best combination of chemicals to make the perfect smoothing agent. Leslie is saying something disparaging about her nails while buffing them all the same, while Eve works on her face. Iris compares dresses against her frame, while Siobhan holds up matching shoes for each dress.

When the girls are all done, and Alex is blinking in some surprise at the face that is looking back at her from the mirror, Maggie finally wanders over. She takes the one lock of hair dangling over Alex’s face, twirling it with those distracting fingers of hers.

“I liked the straight hair, Agent Danvers,” she murmurs, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. “But, I’m getting used to this new wavy look.”

Alex stills, too frozen to even protest the over-familiar gesture.

“We have to go!” Maggie continues, looking up and taking her hands away, as the five-minute warning comes over the speakers.

She holds out her hand to Alex, and they leave the room together, hand-in-hand, following the gaggle of girls that they’ve both sworn to protect.

 

\---

**Alex**

Alex can’t help the grin that suffuses her face, at Maggie’s startled look when she’s called onto the stage as one of the final two.

She doesn’t know why Maggie is so surprised. As far as Alex is concerned, Maggie could beat out any of the other contestants without lifting a finger.

As Maggie moves forward into the spotlight though, a strange look seems to come over her face. Alex can see her start, look around, and then mouth something in the direction of her photographer friend down in the press pit. Alex looks in his direction too, to see him staring back at Maggie, confused. Alex looks back at Maggie, who now seems frustrated, even as the unnoticing host drones on about the results.

Suddenly, Maggie turns to _her_ , and starts mouthing something, and Alex realizes.

“The crown!” she repeats Maggie’s words out loud, getting startled looks from the other girls. “The explosives are in the crown!”

Maggie seems to be watching in horror, as the host announces the results and Miss Kansas is crowned as Miss United States. She seems to be frozen, unable to do anything but walk away as the host instructs, while the crown is placed on Lena’s head, ticking away to her death.

So Alex does what she does best. She reacts.

 

\---

**Maggie**

Maggie walks away from the host as Miss Kansas is announced as the winner, trying to formulate an effective plan of action.

Alex, of course, decides that her own most effective plan of action is to launch herself towards Lena, right in front of an audience of millions, trying to grab the crown off of her head.

Lena seems to be surprisingly well-trained in self-defense, and is putting on a good show of fighting Alex back, clearly under the impression that Alex is angry about losing. As she attacks Alex from the front, and security grabs Alex from the back, Maggie takes out her badge and moves forward, trying to sort the mess out.

Alex, though, waves her back, pointing Maggie with a flailing hand to the back of the stage.

Maggie looks accordingly, to see Michael Daxham leaning over the fake stairs constructed for the stage. He’s holding something small and black in his hand.

“The remote!” Alex yells to Maggie, “He’s got the remote for the bomb!”

Then, a lot of things seem to happen at once. Maggie is running for Daxham, when he is tackled from behind by a large man in a black jacket, with FBI emblazoned on the back in bright yellow.

“J’onn!” Alex shouts to the man, even as he grapples with Michael for control of the remote. “You’re here?”

Other agents in FBI uniform storm the stage too, then, along with NCPD officers, trying to clear it. Maggie’s focus, though, is on the remote that slips out of Daxham’s hand and slides down the fake staircase, even as the man that Alex had called J’onn tries to hold him back from retaking it.

Maggie runs towards it, but there’s another person running towards it too. Someone a lot closer. Some a lot more desperate.

Rhea Matthews picks up the remote, and holds it triumphantly in the air.

“Maggie!” The cry comes from Alex.

Maggie looks back to see Alex waving the crown, but still surrounded by contestants, security guards, FBI agents and NCPD officers.

“Catch!”

Maggie catches the crown neatly, as Alex throws it at her, and hurls it up into the air, as high as she can, calling on the training of all those precinct-vs-precinct baseball matches that she had been reluctantly roped into participating in.

The crown explodes high in the air, right above the fake statue of liberty on the stage, shattering the statue.

Most of the exploded pieces fly off safely to the back of the stage, but one piece of the head flies straight down towards Maggie, who doesn’t see it at first. Then Alex gives a cry, shakes free of her captors after one final effort, and runs straight towards Maggie, tackling her and sending both of them sprawling to the ground, out of the path of the portion of spiked head that had been about to impale Maggie.

There’s pandemonium then, but Maggie sees only Alex on top of her, eyes wide with terror, face flushed, chest heaving with the exertion.

And well, there’s nothing else for Maggie to do then, but to lift herself up on her elbows, and kiss her brave savior, unseen in the rest of the chaos surrounding the stage.

 

\---

**Alex**

When Rhea and Michael Matthews have both been taken into custody, and the premises cleared of civilians and press, Alex finally has time to talk to J’onn.

“It looks like she wanted revenge for being fired, “J’onn surmises, “And browbeat her son into helping her.”

“I don’t think it took much to convince him.” Alex says, and then, “You came. You came to help me.”

J’onn is still limping a little as they walk, but he smiles slightly at her words. Well, his facial muscles rearrange, at least, into something that could be taken for a smile if Alex squints.

“I couldn’t let you take all the credit, Agent Danvers.” He says, before his voice grows more solemn. “I’m not going to let something as inconsequential as a bad leg stop me from getting help to you, Alex. I called in some old favors at the agency, and got them to approve an emergency team for me.”

He points to Lucy too, as they pass her. She’s dealing with the lingering stubborn members of the press - which includes Kara, Alex notes with chagrin - trying to give them boilerplate answers and get them on their way out.

“Your friend wasn’t happy with how the deputy supervisor treated you.” J’onn says. “She helped me get this team together.”

Alex turns around and points finger guns at Lucy, before mouthing a thank you. Lucy shoots a wink her way without even breaking her spiel to the press.

Alex looks back at J’onn.

“I’m sorry you had to call in your favors.” she says.

J’onn shakes his head.

“Alex, this is one of the most high-profile cases the FBI has had in recent years. This is going to look great on our department record.”

Alex smiles, and then her gaze is drawn towards Maggie in the crowd, who seems to be in the middle of a briefing with her own team, although she looks back and shoots Alex a quick smile, before turning to face her captain again.

Alex can’t help but smile back as wide as she can. She looks back at J’onn, to see him watching her keenly.

“What?” Alex asks, self-conscious.

J’onn looks between Alex and Maggie, and something seems to dawn in his eyes.

“Singular credit is nice,” he says, after a while. “But let’s call this a team effort between the FBI and the NCPD. That’s a first...they’ll be talking about it for _years_.”

 

\---

**Alex**

While J’onn is dealing with the NCPD on how to coordinate the arrest, Alex goes backstage to her room to pack up her things and slip back into her usual clothes.

She’s just put on her usual jacket and jeans, and is trying to stuff everything else into the one suitcase she had bothered to bring along, when the door opens again.

“This has got to stop becoming a habit.” Maggie says with mock annoyance, hands held up languidly as she takes in the gun pointed at her.

Alex almost drops the gun in her embarrassment.

“Maggie, I’m sorry!”. She tucks the gun back into her thigh-holster somewhat self-consciously, noting that Maggie is back in plain-clothes now too, with the NCPD badge strapped to her belt-buckle.

“You got your gun back.” Maggie says, pointing to the holster. She sounds as put-together as ever, but the comment is such an unnecessary one that it occurs to Alex to wonder if Maggie is just as nervous as her.

“Yeah, well, J’onn gave me his spare for the night.” she says. “We’re going to need to go back to headquarters, though, before everything can be sorted out and I can get my badge back.”

Maggie nods and then looks around, her thumbs tucked into her belt loops. Then, she moves closer to Alex, almost timidly, eyes fluttering half-shut.

Alex sucks in a fortifying breath as Maggie nears her, but Maggie doesn’t go for her lips again. She looks slightly vulnerable, and tilts her head, so that she’s nosing down Alex’s neck instead, the soft contact making Alex draw another shallow breath.

“Alex.” Maggie says, the words low and throaty, in a way that Alex burning to hear them again, repeated again and again in that rougher-than-usual tone.

“Yeah?” she fairly gasps out. The air doesn’t seem to be getting to her lungs fast enough, or maybe it’s just that she’s forgetting to breathe every time Maggie’s skin makes contact with her own.

“Alex.” Maggie repeats, lifting her head up now, so that her breath comes in hot puffs near Alex’s ear. Her tone is different now, though. More questioning.

“Yes.” Alex says, although she’s not quite sure what she’s responding to.

Maggie’s first kiss is against the side of Alex’s neck, her lips making a soft suction right below her ears. Then another kiss is pressed against Alex's jawline. The third kiss is against the very edge of her cheekbone, openmouthed and wet in a way that has Alex’s eyes fluttering shut too.

“Maggie.” she whispers. “Please-”

Maggie anticipates her want again, and covers her mouth with her own. This time, she kisses her slowly, nothing like their adrenaline-fueled fusing of lips on stage.

Alex shakes a little, the movement brought on by the warmth of Maggie’s body against her front contrasting with the night chill against her back. Maggie moves against her even as she shakes, and her hands come up to frame Alex’s face, so as to steady her and align their lips together again. They kiss for a little longer, before breaking apart briefly, just enough for Maggie to run her tongue across Alex’s lower lip. Then, Alex makes a noise of impatience and draws her back in, sucking Maggie’s own bottom lip into her mouth and scraping her teeth against it very slightly, in a way that gets an instantly addictive noise out of Maggie.

Alex hums in response, feeling herself falling back on the bed, willingly overpowered by the pressure of Maggie’s body against her. And oh, this is even better, the weight of Maggie’s body _on_ her, her breasts pressing down into Alex’s own, as they sink into the mattress, kissing languorously and breaking apart for air every once in a while.

“We should go.” Maggie gasps out, eventually, when Alex has fallen into somewhat of a stupor, where the only thing that exists is the feel of Maggie’s body on her, and her lips against Alex’s own.

“Uhmm.” she mumbles out, quietly protesting when Maggie’s lips leave her own, and the comforting weight on top of her eases. She reaches up blindly, eyes closed but following the light nevertheless, only to feel soft hands pressing down on her shoulders.

“Alex, your supervisor will be looking for you.” Maggie says, causing Alex to reluctantly open her eyes, and focus on Maggie above her, still half-straddling her thighs.

“I know.” she says, biting her lip.

Maggie lifts off her completely then. She waits until Alex finishes fixing herself, and getting some of her breath back, before she speaks again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do that earlier.” she says softly, when Alex turns back to look at her.”I just...there was a lot riding on the mission. I couldn’t have my officers or your agents saying that it was compromised by...by whatever we had.”

Alex starts putting her things together into her suitcase, as she considers those words, and Maggie watches her anxiously as she does so.

“I get it.” she says, after a while, smiling at Maggie.

After this is part of what has attracted her to Maggie, too, isn’t it? This fierce dedication that she has to doing her job, and doing it thoroughly. Alex can’t imagine Maggie without that dedication, and she doesn’t want to, either.

Maggie’s smile is tentative.

“Yeah?” she asks.

“I mean, I did kind of plant one on you without any warning.” Alex shrugs. “You were nicer to me than you had to be about it.”

She moves forward, and gathers Maggie in a hug before she can even think of apologizing again. It feels perfect, the way their bodies sink into each other, especially when Maggie’s arms come up around Alex’s shoulder-blades, to bring her in even closer.

“I have to go now.” Maggie says, somewhat shyly, when they separate. “The captain will be looking for me. But, make sure you text me after.”

Alex nods, unable to keep a face-splitting smile off her face as Maggie leaves her room.

Somehow, despite the stress of everything, it feels like it was worth it, to get this...well, not this ending, but this new beginning.

 

\---

**Maggie**

Much later, after the arrest officially goes through, and the newspapers have their field day - or field week, in this case - Maggie walks up to the podium at the annual NCPD Medal Day ceremony, where the mayor slips the medal for heroism around her neck.

If she looks just behind her and to the left, she knows she’ll see her aunt there, who never misses a single one of these ceremonies. And this time, Maggie knows, Alex will be there too. Alex, who had wheedled the details of the ceremony out of her, even though Maggie had been too self-conscious and embarrassed to volunteer them. And of course, Maggie expects the polite clapping from the rest of the force present.

What she doesn’t expect is the sudden loud cheer that goes up as she accepts the medal, which peters off instantly, as if hushed. Maggie turns in the direction of the cheer, to see not just her aunt and Alex, but Kara too, whom she recognizes the cheering voice as belonging to and who’s looking just a little sheepish now, obviously having been hushed by Alex. Behind her, there’s James and Winn, and Alex’s supervisor and  - Maggie blinks - Miss Kansas too, as well as a woman with shoulder-length hair whom Alex had pointed out to Maggie as Lucy Lane, one of her friends at the agency.

Maggie’s returning smile in their direction is small, made a little shy by how unexpected it all is, but her heart, though? Her heart feels like it’s about to burst, especially as she takes in the sight of Alex standing side by side with her aunt, her aunt leaning up on Alex just a little so that she can see Maggie over the heads of the crowd.

That night, they all go out to a restaurant that would usually cost a full half of Maggie’s monthly paycheck, but which J’onn covers, while practically restraining Alex in her seat to keep her from protesting his generosity.

Maggie’s favorite part, though, comes afterward, when Alex drives her alone to the national park, and they lie down on the grass, just looking up at the stars and talking.

“You know, my dad used to take me to this park every month in the summer.” Alex says, during a lull in the conversation.

Maggie turns to see her still looking up, her face etched in the lines of a familiar grief.

“We started coming her even more often after Kara came to live with us.” Alex continues. “Something about being away from the city really calmed her down, helped her adjust better. That was before he - I mean, before he, you know -”

Maggie snuggles closer, making soft comforting noises as Alex closes her eyes, unable to continue. They stay that way for a while, before Alex speaks again.

“Your parents-” she starts, and then leaves the words hanging, open-ended.

Maggie hesitates. She wants to tell Alex, she really does, but she doesn’t feel ready. She tries to speak, but the words stick in her mouth.

As she struggles, Alex’s hand finds hers. Her thumb strokes the inside of Maggie’s hand, before she brings up the hand, kisses every fingertip, and presses a final kiss against the palm.

“It’s fine.” Alex says afterward, her eyes soft and searching. “Maggie, it’s fine. Forget I asked.”

Maggie nods, and then clears her throat.

“Do you want to hear about my aunt?” she asks, holding Alex’s gaze, willing her to understand. “I’ve got some pretty wild stories about her.”

Alex stares at her with a watery smile.

“Yeah.” she says. “I’d like that.”

\---

**Author's Note:**

> This was literally written in 1.5 days, and unbeta-ed to boot, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Nevertheless, I hope you liked it :)
> 
> I can be found, as usual, at @alittlelesspain on tumblr.


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